Ligenda might well be a new domaine within the Patrimonio appellation on the north-west peninsula of the island, but the 37 organically certified hectares that make up the estate have been under the same family ownership since 1850.
The current incumbent is Franck Santini who took over the family property in 2006. With his friend, another Franck (family name: Malassinge), they released their first wines from the 2023 vintage. There is a South African connection here since Franck M. worked at the little known estate of Marianne in Stellenbosch from 2007 to 2010 (and had a South African-born daughter).
The name Ligenda was inspired by the Brazilian novelist Paolo Coelho and his 1988 book The Alchemist.
The vineyards are split between the Patrimonio appellation and the generic IGP Ile de Beauté. Except for some Muscat, everything is planted to endemic Corsican grape varieties.
Whilst there are a total of six wines in the range, a red, white and pink for each of the AoP and IGP classifications, we have elected to concentrate on just two wines to start with.
CUVÉE BLANC ‘QUATTRU’ ILE DE BEAUTÉ 2023
This is an eleven-hectare field blend of 60% Vermentu (aka Malvoisie de Corse) 20% Biancu Gentile (a rare and aromatic variety that was only rediscovered in the 1990s and with only 6ha of plantings recorded on the island), 10% Carajolu Biancu (an almost extinct grape that is believed to have originated in Sardinia) and 10% Riminse (a relatively neutral variety that originates in Emilia Romagna).
Hand harvested at the end of August and vinified together at a low temperature in stainless steel tanks. The wine was bottled in February 2024 to ensure maximum freshness.
PATRIMONIO ROUGE 2023
This is produced 100% from Nielluccio, aka Sangiovese, a variety believed to have been introduced by the Genoese, who ruled Corsica until the mid-18th Century. This variety is the most widely planted on the island. The grapes for this are harvested in mid-September and fermented in stainless steel, with 50% being raised in tonneaux for eight months and bottled in June 2024.
www.ligenda.fr
| Cuvée Blanc ‘Quattru’ Ile De Beauté | pack shot | fiche |
| Patrimonio Rouge | pack shot | fiche |